


Stark, this is your fault

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Asgard (Marvel), Avengers Compound, Awesome Frigga (Marvel), BAMF Loki (Marvel), Baby Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Female Loki (Marvel), Good Odin (Marvel), Infinity Gems, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Kid Bruce Banner, Kid Clint Barton, Kid Fic, Kid Natasha Romanov, Kid Steve Rogers, Kid Thor (Marvel) - Freeform, Loki & Sif (Marvel) Friendship, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Parent Loki (Marvel), Post-Avengers (2012), Toddlers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2020-06-29 13:04:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19830820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: When Tony attempts to use the Mind Stone, it has disastrous affects. With five of the Avengers stuck as toddlers, Loki is left to look after them while Tony fixes the mess. Suffice to say, things don't go to plan.





	1. The Incident

Loki, as usual, was spending his morning reading. His room in the Avengers Compound was very spacious, a large bed in the corner overlooking the grass. He had his own bathroom, which he was more adept at using than his brother. Most of the space in his room was used to store books, or magical items he couldn’t trust the Avengers to look after. In the corner opposite the bed was his most favourite spot, an old, ratty armchair that he had picked up on one of his rare trips around New York.

He would spend hours sitting in it, reading books either from Midgard or Asgard. Right now was no different, Loki was reading about the origins of Magic on Midgard. It was fascinating, and Loki would have to request a meeting with the Doctor who studied the Mystic Arts. It would be useful, to understand someone else’s point of view.

It was at this moment, sitting in the chair and looking out across the garden, that the Incident happened. The burst of energy crossed the Compound, Loki pulling his Seidr up to stop the wave hitting him. Once it passed, the Trickster stood up, dog-earing the corner of the book and leaving it on the table.

‘Jarvis, what was that?’ He inquired, wondering if his brother was injured. It was natural, he told himself, to worry about his brother. The oaf always managed to find trouble, even on Midgard.

‘Mr Stark was attempting to harness the power of the Mind Stone, Mr Laufeyson.’ Deciding that that was more worrying than his brother, the Trickster left his room and headed towards the lab. The Avengers had the Mind Stone and the Tesseract, although Odin had not been too keen on allowing them to keep the stones. Loki didn’t care, as long as they were far away from him.

Entering the lab, the first thing he noted was that it reeked of energy. His Seidr wrapped tighter around him, like it was warning him that something wasn’t right. The Sceptre was on the side, attached to wires that looked like they were burnt-out. The lab was a mess, broken glass on the floor and chemicals spilling out, but it was not that image that concerned Loki. No, it was Tony Stark, who was holding a small child.

It was probably no more than three, maybe less, and had dark hair. Blue eyes turned to look at him, and it took a moment to realise that the child was no other than Bruce Banner.

‘What did you do?’ Loki demanded, stepping closer to the two men. The child in Tony’s arms gurgled happily, chubby little hands reaching for Loki. The Trickster’s lips curled in disgust, stepping away from the small child and looking to Tony, who had grease smeared across his face, and dark bags under his eyes. He looked tired, yet Loki had very little sympathy.

‘I was using the Mind Stone to Power the mainframe, but apparently it went wrong.’ Loki didn’t know what the Mainframe was, but he could see that it had gone wrong. Tony put the child, Bruce, down onto the table and turned back to the stone. The child went to wiggle off, no doubt would land in the chemicals, and so Loki picked it up. Purely to stop it from dying, of course.

‘How did you know?’ Tony inquired, turning to look at Loki over his shoulder. The God was standing in the Lab, holding the squirming child close, realising that he had felt the Seidr half-way across the Compound. That meant…

‘I felt it…’ They both looked concerned at that, Tony quickly asking Jarvis for the status of the others. When he was informed that the other four Avengers were fine, with vitals showing normal, Loki relaxed. His brother was fine.

‘However, Sir, they are currently in the same state as Dr Banner.’ Tony dropped the spanner, turning to Loki, who was already heading out of the lab, the small Bruce still tucked against him. It was the main room they reached first, a smashed glass on the floor and clothes strewn about. Now that he thought about it, Loki realised that Bruce was wearing a very large shirt.

‘Lady Natasha?’ Loki called, recognising the clothes. He heard a sound, a clapping sound, and looked around the edge of the counter. Sitting on the floor, a small red-headed child and a dark-brown boy. They were both bare, evidently the clothes hadn't had the benefit of staying attached, and Tony sucked in air behind him. Sitting Bruce down, Loki waved his hand sharply, watched the clothes tighten around Bruce. He did the same to the clothes on the floor, before approaching the small children.

‘Lady Natasha, do excuse me.’ He muttered, dressing the girl first, before doing the same to Clint. When both were clothed, he realised that he needed to find the others. Especially Thor. But he couldn’t leave three children in a kitchen that wasn’t baby-proofed.

‘What do we do?’ Tony asked, not taking his eyes off of Bruce, who was still seated on the countertop. The Man of Iron looked confused, Loki thought, as he scooped Natasha and Clint up, settling one of each hip.

‘We need to put them somewhere safe, then reverse whatever it is you have done.’ Loki pointed out, and Tony hesitantly picked up the small Bruce. Together, the two men carried them to the main room, seated them on the Couch. Leaving Tony to look after the small children, he went in search of the others.

Steve was his next find. The child was tiny, blue eyes filled with tears and a bruise forming under his cheek. He had obviously fallen, and although Loki didn’t like Steve Rogers that much, he had to acknowledge that the child needed help. Once dressed, he scooped the small toddler up, noting how much lighter he was. Of course, this was pre-Serum Steve, and Loki recalled the Captain’s file. Something about illnesses, a sickly child. Steve would need help, Loki thought, pushing slightly more Seidr into the now-asleep child.

He returned the child to Tony, then went in search of his brother. He wasn’t hard to find, sitting next to Mjolnir in the training room, trapped under his heavy armour and cloak. Loki fought a smile, moving the armour away from the blond-haired God and scooping him up, wrapping the cloak around his brother.

‘Loke! Loke! Snake!’ His brother cried, tapping at his face with his little hands. Loki wasn’t surprised that his brother recognised him, his Seidr would have been recognisable to Thor’s. Unlike the others, Thor wasn’t a toddler. Well, he was, but he was an Asgardian toddler. Not a mortal. Loki adjusted the cloak, Seidr making it into a fixed piece of clothing, and he carried his brother back to the main room.

Tony looked up, saw Loki standing in the doorway holding a very squirmy Thor, a glare already on the Trickster’s face.

‘You better fix this, Stark. Before Odin finds out his Heir is currently a toddler.’


	2. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki comforts the children while Tony attempts to solve the issue

It turned out that Tony Stark had no intention of looking after the five babies in the Compound. The most he had done was order furniture, food and clothing for them. Now, five rooms in the Compound had been allocated for the new Toddler residents. A bedroom, complete with five cots with nametags, like Stark couldn’t tell them apart. Each Cot had a coloured blanket, the colour representing them. It made Loki smile slightly, especially when Stark ran around showing him the things he had got.

High-chairs, as they were called on Midgard, in the kitchen area. Baby food for the toddlers. Then there was a play-area, complete with toys, which allowed Loki to leave the Avengers while he read a book. A bathroom, complete with little steps so that they could reach the toilet. Loki found it amusing, if he was honest, but he did try and give them privacy. He doubted that would work, especially if they stayed like this long enough for Loki to need to bathe them.

The final room had a TV and couches, as well as Loki’s bed considering he had to stay close to the Avengers. Tony, once he had shown Loki all of this, had promptly disappeared to his Lab and left the Trickster to look after his mess. And a mess it was.

‘No, Thor, leave Mjolnir alone. Clint, knives are not toys.’ Loki bent down, snatched the knife that the boy had found from Odin knows where, removing it with Seidr. He then turned to Steve, who was quietly sitting in the corner playing with some blocks. He would need to heal him later, the boy already had a chesty cough and looked like he had a cold.

‘Natalia, stop bullying Thor.’ This time, it was a gentle scold. Natalia, as he had taken to calling the young Natasha, was by far the most interesting toddler. She was incredibly bright, seemed to recognise the moods of the others just by staring at them. Like now, she cocked her head and studied him, before toddling across to Bruce.

Unfortunately, Bruce was building a tower, and Natalia taking a seat caused a disruption that knocked over the blocks. Loki sighed, watched Bruce start to wail, Natalia looking pleased. Bruce then grew angry, picking up a block and trying to throw it at Natalia, who also started crying. Loki quickly intervened, worried about the way Bruce’s ears and the tips of his fingers were going green. He had hoped that, like Steve, he would be like his young-self. Unfortunately, not even the Mind Stone could reverse the gamma-radiation that had made the Hulk.

‘Easy, Bruce, you’re alright.’ Loki soothed, bouncing the toddler on his hip as he watched Thor yet again reach for Mjolnir. Placing down the now normal-coloured Bruce, he went to his brother’s side, lifting up the boy. He had found this trick quite amusing, he could lift Thor when he was holding Mjolnir. That meant he could walk the boy to a different room, then get him to put the Hammer down.

‘Clint!’ Loki gasped, staring as the boy climbed straight over Steve and towards the toy box. Steve’s lip wobbled, and Loki was quick to move the tiny boy out of the way. The last thing he needed was for Steve to start crying, it wouldn’t help his chest at all. Clint, however, looked smug. Somehow, even as a toddler, he seemed to hate Loki.

The young God did know a few things about their past, and knew that Clint especially hadn't enjoyed a male-dominant figure. He would work on that later, he mused, turning in time to see Thor battling with Natalia over a particularly soft stuffed-bear. The Trickster just stared, slumped down onto the couch and groaned. Whatever Tony had done, he had not made this easy.

**

Feeding time was harder. The toddlers would not sit still, even though they were strapped in. Bruce was quick to go green if he didn’t have attention, and Thor would bang his hands against the tray hard enough that Loki thought it would break. He made them each some sandwiches, chopping them into tiny pieces so they could eat them. Cheese puffs were the chosen crisps, although he didn’t know a lot about looking after children. It couldn’t be too bad, they seemed to be enjoying them, and Loki filled up five water bottles. He handed them out, happy when Natalia gave a bright smile.

‘Tanks.’ She stated, toothily grinning up at him, and Loki smiled back.

‘Your welcome, Natalia.’

‘Lokes! Lokes!’ Sighing, he turned his attention away from the small girl and onto his brother, who had somehow managed to get out of the restraining clips, and halfway out of his seat. The sandwich was on the floor, cheese-puffs smeared all over his baby face, and the water bottle was still in his hand. It was thrown in Loki’s direction, who growled at his brother and picked the child up, sitting him back in the chair.

‘Stay.’ He snapped, slightly too harshly it appeared because his brother teared up. Brilliant, just fabulous, Loki thought as the tears started. Outside, he heard thunder rumbling. Normal toddlers would be hard enough, but enhanced children? A baby-Hulk, mini-Assassin, tiny-Bird, sick-Solider and emotional-Godling?

‘Hey, Loki isn’t mad, Thor. But you’ve got to eat, you need your strength!’ He exclaimed happily, a fake happy, and Thor beamed at him. He picked the sandwich up off the floor, put it in the bin and made another. His brother would need more food than the others, so he needed to make sure Thor ate enough. After ensuring his brother would stay in the chair, he turned back to the others, only to have a wet cheese puff thrown in his direction.

Clint smirked, looking proud as he clapped his orange fingers together. He had a piece of ham stuck to the side of his face, and his water had soaked the front of his shirt.

‘Lo again!’ The nickname made him sigh, especially when another cheese puff joined the first. Bruce started clapping as well, and even Natalia giggled. The children quickly found amusement in throwing cheese puffs at Loki, who tried to duck most of them, then ended up just letting them as he looked at Steve, who looked happy, but wasn’t joining in.

‘Tony Stark, once you’ve fixed this, I’m going to kill you. Slowly.’ He promised, looking at the camera in the corner. He heard Jarvis chuckle, a funny thing for a mind that had no body, and he knew Stark had heard the threat. Good. He would make him suffer for doing this to him.

‘Right, little ones, who fancies getting clean?’ Fair to say, none of the children fancied that at all.


	3. Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Baby cutness

Loki managed three hours of sleep before Clint came walking into his room. How the child managed to escape from the Cot, Loki had no idea, but he didn’t argue. Slowly rising from the bed, he stared at the child in the doorway, who was clutching the grey blanket in his hands tightly.

‘Can’t sleep?’ Loki inquired, staring at the red-rimmed eyes and the wet shirt. He figured that at least one of them would get nightmares, just his luck it was the one that hated him the most.

‘Scared.’ Was all Clint said, and Loki nodded. He stood up, walking across and scooping the young boy up, settling him on his right hip. He walked back to the nursery to ensure the others were all still asleep, smirking when he saw Thor sleeping next to Mjolnir. Then he shut the door, still carrying Clint, and led him through to the kitchen. Loki had noted early on how hesitant Clint was around him, so using a little Seidr, he changed his form.

Clint’s eyes widened, Loki sitting him down on the counter and stepping back. Blue eyes studied Loki curiously, the Trickster making a warm bottle of milk like Frigga did when nightmares plagued the nights. Turning back, Loki offered out her arms, giving the boy a chance to refuse. Loki had to admit, she looked different in this form, but maybe it would help him get over his fear of being close to a male.

Sure enough, tiny arms lifted up, and Loki was quick to lift him back into her arms. Taking the young Archer to the couch, she tucked him carefully into her arms, offering the bottle.

**

The other four took the change just the same as Clint had done, although Natalia was more interested in Loki now that she was female. Hands always strayed to the waist-length black hair, fingers curling tightly into the strands. Loki didn’t bother wearing nice clothing, opting instead for a pair of sweatpants and a big shirt that belonged to Thor.

Once each toddler had been fed for the morning, she worked on healing Steve. The tiny child curled up on her lap, head resting under her chin, and she hummed happily while allowing Seidr to heal him. If it felt odd at all, the young boy gave no show of it. Sitting back on the couch, she was able to watch the tiny Avengers play, focusing mostly on Thor. She wondered if Heimdall was watching, reporting back to Mother and Odin about how Thor was now the size of a babe.

When Tony walked in half-way through the afternoon, it was to the image of Loki singing to a slightly-tinged Bruce, who seemed to constantly get in fights with the other Avengers. Loki had deemed him the most dangerous when angry, figuring she could take the small bursts of electrocution that came when Thor decided he was hungry.

‘Er, Loki?’ She turned, glancing to the billionaire and gracing him with a small smile, still balancing an almost-Hulk on her hip.

‘Do we need to get him to the tank?’ Tony was staring right at Bruce, who evidently hadn't decided whether Tony was a threat or not. Loki shook her head, allowing Bruce to nuzzle closer, fingers wrapping into Thor’s shirt.

‘No, he’s fine. Just has a habit of picking fights.’ Loki looked across to Natalia, who was currently sitting on Clint’s back and trying to pull his hair. The Archer didn’t look very impressed, making all manner of odd sounds and growls, but Loki didn’t need to break that up just yet.

‘Any luck?’ The Trickster asked, putting Bruce down next to his favourite item, the building blocks, and walking across to check on the dozing Steve. He was tucked into blankets, napping happily after being pumped full of Seidr.

‘None yet, but I have a couple of things to try.’ They both knew that the reason Tony wasn’t telling SHIELD was because of the backlash he would get. Turning Midgard’s greatest heroes into children probably wouldn’t go down too well. Loki had to admit, she found the entire thing quite amusing. Seeing that Natalia was about to have a temper tantrum as Clint stole the car she was playing with, Loki allowed some Seidr to create pretty images of animals on the ground, the children forgetting their qualms with each other and going to look.

‘I could come and assist you this evening, once they’re in bed. If you require the assistance.’ Loki didn’t want to be anywhere near the Stones, everyone knew that, but she would do anything to ensure that they weren’t stuck in the body of a toddler. Tony seemed surprised, but accepted her offer of help.

‘Hey, Loki? You’re doing a pretty good job with them.’ Tony pointed out as he left, and Loki found herself staring at the children. Natalia was playing with a bright blue bunny, Clint laughing as a puppy ran around the room. Thor was obsessed with a green snake that kept curling around Mjolnir’s handle, and Bruce was watching a cat clean its paws. Steve, bless him, was still asleep on the couch.

It didn’t take her long to realise where the maternal instincts came from. Loki, as much as she hated to admit it, was a Jotun. They usually bore no gender, although they were represented as a “male”. Naturally, Jotuns could all bear children. She possessed such abilities, not that she’d ever use them, and it meant that she was naturally better at handling the children. The thought of it being down to her Jotun heritage made her scowl, and the visages she had made shattered.

Crying cut through her self-loathing moment, staring down at the children looking at her. Each looked heartbroken at the thought of losing the images, and Loki had an idea. She ever so hesitantly crouched down, forming a small ball of ice in her hand. The Jotun side of her had the ability to manipulate such a thing, and the children seemed fascinated.

‘Pretty.’ Natalia stated, gasping as she touched the cold ball. The others nodded, grouping around and watching as Loki made little snowflakes fill the room. With the children occupied, she quickly left to fetch a book. Watching them play under the power of the side she thought nobody would ever love, Loki felt a slight tug in her chest. Thor looked so enamoured with the snow, looked so happy, even though it was the thing that tore them apart the most.

The thing that made Loki drive Thor away, she corrected herself. The last thing her brother needed was to be associated with the very thing they were taught to hate.

‘Lokes.’ Her brother came up, settling between her thighs and resting his head against her chest. She smiled, offered out the book which she used Seidr to change, making it a book about the mythical creatures of Asgard. With her brother clapping and cheering, Loki could quite easily forget the drift between them.


	4. Another one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff, some angst. Really, it should be expected when it comes to my writing :)

‘What was it like?’ The genius inquired, Loki walking around tracing the edge of the Sceptre. Although they all knew that Loki wasn’t responsible for the attack on New York, it didn’t make it any easier to talk about it. They knew very little, and Loki offered barely anything. Not even Thor knew about the extent of her pain.

‘Painful. Cold. Empty.’ She remarked, fingers brushing across it. Tony didn’t speak, allowed her the moment to remember falling through the void. The feeling of dying, of wanting to die, but being unable to. Of Thanos, standing over her body, promising a world of pain.

‘I’m sorry.’ Tony provided, and the fact that he was apologising had her in shock. She looked up, gave a small shrug, before looking to the computer.

‘What do you need me to do?’ Tony snapped out of whatever haze he was in, grabbing the container with blueberries. Loki couldn’t understand the obsession, they tasted sour to her tastes.

‘The Stone seems to be… moody? Can a Stone be moody?’ Loki looked to the Mind stone, before explaining that, basically speaking, the Stone did have a nervous system. It felt people near it, touching it, trying to see it.

‘If you need me to, I could try and make it cooperate.’ Loki said the words hesitantly, not really wanting the Stone to remember him. But Tony was nodding, and Loki reached out. Her fingers closed around the Stone, and she felt the familiar power tug through her body.

_Loki Laufeyson, Hello again._

Creepy. The God struggled to maintain the hold, pushed Seidr into the body of the Stone. It didn’t respond, before eventually uncurling. If Thanos was anywhere nearby, Loki couldn’t sense it, and nor could the stone. It was a quiet thing, the Stone drawing off her Seidr until she felt her skin losing its glamour. Tony said something, but Loki was stuck, drawn in by the familiar hum beneath her skin.

‘Loki!’ The stone was released, partly because she was pulled back, Tony gripping her now-blue arm. Loki looked down, staring at her dark blue skin, then looking up to Tony. She wasn’t burning him, she didn’t feel threatened, but she did feel exposed. Tony was staring at what she knew were crimson red eyes, and she felt vulnerable. Stepping away from the Stone, she pulled back the Seidr.

Her arms slowly returned to pale skin, although she stuck to her female form.

‘The Stone should cooperate.’ Loki bluntly stated, walking towards the door.

‘Thank you. And it isn’t that bad, you just look a bit like a Smurf.’ Tony said, and Loki turned back to him. She had seen the movie, but it didn’t insult her. It was more a sort of… acceptance. She gave a brief nod, walking to her room in the Kiddies Compound. She shifted back to her male form, the one he predominantly used, and pulled the shirt off.

‘Lokes?’ He turned so sharply he almost fell, found Thor sitting on his bed even though he should have been in his Cot. He knew what Thor was staring at, of course, the scars he hadn't bothered to hide with Seidr because he thought he had been alone.

‘Brother.’ He greeted, grabbing a night shirt and pulling it over. As he settled on the edge of the bed, undoing his shoes and pants, his brother crawled forwards. Small hands crept under the shirt, finding the nastiest scar on his left side. Loki didn’t fight it, allowed his brother the contact he wanted.

‘I’m okay, Thor. It doesn’t hurt anymore.’ He assured, settling back and, with slight hesitance, pulling his brother on top. He wrapped the covers around them both, letting the small Thor curl up like Loki used to do when he had nightmares.

‘It happened in the Void. I expected death. What I found was worse.’ He admitted, stroking the soft blond curls. Thor did look cute as a toddler, he thought. And he was so much easier to talk to, none of the pity and sympathy Loki didn’t deserve.

‘Thanos… he terrifies me. I wished you had killed me during the New York attack, brother. I even tried to make you. Anything but face him again.’ His voice grew shaky, and he pulled Thor closer. The promise Thanos had made, the promise to kill his brother and anything he cared about, made his heartbeat race.

**

Morning brought Loki, back in her female form, cleaning up the mess Clint had made during breakfast. The child now sat in the corner screaming, red-faced and angry, and the others had made themselves scarce. Once she had finished, she turned to the small Archer, before crouching down.

‘Do you want to explain why you did that, Clint?’ The child just continued with its tantrum, and so Loki gave him some time to cool down. Eventually, Clint stopped crying, turning to look at Loki. She waited patiently, knowing the boy needed the time.

‘Sowwy.’ Clint stated, lip wobbling, and Loki gave a bright smile.

‘That’s alright, Clint. I forgive you.’ She assured, scooping him up and cleaning his face. Truth be told, Clint was quickly becoming her favourite. Despite his habits, he was the funniest, and the most expressive. Setting him down, she silently passed across an extra cheese-puff. He grinned, stuffing it into his face.

It was later, settled on the couch watching the children play, that the Second Incident happened. She had just finished feeding Steve a smoothie, because he wasn’t eating solid foods enough, when she felt it. The children turned, and Loki instinctively threw a barrier up around them and herself when she realised it was malicious, not friendly. The Stone residue hit her barrier, she recognised it, and then lowered it. The children had gone silent, like they could recognise the thing that had turned them back to a toddler.

‘Tony.’ She said aloud, sprinting from the room. She barely remembered to shut it, ensuring the children didn’t get in any trouble while she was running. Making it to the lab in record time, she threw the door open, staring at the glowing Sceptre. There was an issue, it was basically flooding with energy, enough that it would be acting as a Beacon to Thanos, if he was anywhere close by.

The second issue was on the floor, a tiny, dark-haired boy with big brown eyes staring up at her, swamped in an AC/DC shirt. His hair was in little ringlets, mouth slightly open, eyes filled with fear. Loki felt her body freeze, staring at the child standing where Tony should. The child, in his tiny fingers, was clutching a blueberry. Loki bit back a choked sob, realising that her last hope for getting her brother back was fading.

And then, of course, like the situation wasn’t bad enough, Tony started to cry.

‘Hush, Tony, you’re alright. I’ll sort everything out.’ Loki promised, adding another child to her collection.


	5. Lots of Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some baby time, then some not so baby time

Six days. Six days of having six baby Avengers, spending all day looking after them, and all night in the lab. Learning everything Tony had tried, learning everything that he had attempted to do. Loki spent his time researching, messing with the Stones as he tried to work out how to switch the spell around. The Stone had drained him twice, Loki barely able to keep his Asgardian skin up.

‘Lo?’ He had been sleeping, or trying to. A couple of hours, just enough for him to get his energy back. Yet Clint had other ideas, looking up at him with tears in his eyes. Loki couldn’t be angry, it wasn’t their fault, they were just acting as three-year-olds do.

‘What’s wrong, Clint?’ He inquired softly, before understanding the problem. Loki sighed, changed the child into dry clothes, then went to change the sheets. Once he’d settled Clint back down, he found the others awake, and so he went to his room and grabbed a pillow and blanket. He lay down on the floor of the nursery, using Seidr to create stars on the ceiling. The children fell silent, and Loki pulled the blanket up around him.

Two more days, he told himself. Two days, and he would call Fury, and ask for help. He didn’t want Tony to get in trouble, but he didn’t have much choice. Without the help of SHIELD, Loki didn’t know if he could do this.

‘Love, Lokes.’ Thor stated quietly, and Loki was glad it was dark. He didn’t want them to see the tears that brimmed, stuck on Midgard without the Avengers, the people that had forgiven him for Thanos. Had forgiven him, despite how much he had hurt them.

‘Yes, Thor, I love you too.’ He promised, and it was a promise. He looked at the stars he had projected, knowing that even if Odin knew, the Allfather couldn’t do anything. The Stones were the only way to fix this issue, and Loki couldn’t do it. He wasn’t strong enough.

**

‘Pretty.’ Loki remarked, finishing brushing Natalia’s hair. She giggled, clapping her hands excitedly before he returned her to the playroom. He turned, looking to the last one he had to clean.

‘Come here, Tony.’ Loki offered out his arms, the smallest, besides Steve, running up. He launched into Loki’s arms, the Trickster scooping him up and carrying him to the bath. The water was bubbly, and Tony found this great fun, while Loki sat on the sink and watched to ensure he didn’t drown.

‘I wish you were you, Tony. I don’t think I’m smart enough to do this.’ He admitted to the boy who had given himself a bubble beard. Loki watched, realising how innocent a child was. When Odin found him, the Prince of Jotunheim, the Son of the King, he had chosen to take him home. Loki had been given a home, a family, and a life. And even though he had always favoured Thor, he HAD loved Loki. Not as much as his true son, but he had loved him. Enough to try and keep the truth from him, to keep him happy, to stop him feeling different.

There was a crashing sound outside, so Loki dried Tony down, emptying the bath and calling for Jarvis to ensure that the babies were alright. The A.I. didn’t answer, and so Loki dressed Tony quickly, the two walking from the room. The children were all there, quietly sitting, and it was then that Loki recognised the Magic seeping into the room. He stepped between them and the stranger in the room, regarding the creature with a fear seeping into his core.

‘Ebony Maw.’ Thanos’ henchman stood in the room, and Loki cursed himself for not recognising it sooner. The Magic was all around, they had detected the Sceptre, and had come for it. The Lab was locked, Ebony couldn’t get in, not even with all his Magic. Loki directed his Seidr to protecting the children, staring at the creature who had smiled and watched his torture.

‘Loki. I’ve missed you, little plaything.’ He commented, and Loki looked to the window. He could do this, he could. He knew he could.

‘You’re not having the Stones.’ He snarled, daggers forming in his hands. Ebony was strong, really strong, and there was a big chance he would hurt the babies if Loki wasn’t careful. The Trickster straightened, ready to fight, then grinned.

‘Then I shall come for you.’ Ebony stated, raising his hands.

**

Keeping the barrier up was the difficulty. Ice had spread across the room, Ebony bleeding on the other side. His Magic was fading, but Thanos was coming, and Loki was running out of energy. The babies were crying, but Loki didn’t have time to worry. He had to get them out of here, had to get the Stones and the babies somewhere safe. He couldn’t face Thanos by himself, not even with two of the Stones on his side.

The Lab was untouched, Loki running to the stones. He picked up the Mind Stone, slamming down the power as it tried to seep out. He picked the Tesseract out of its container, putting both in a pocket-dimension, safe away from the babies. Thanos would be here soon, and Loki was bleeding out, and his skin was still blue. None of these things were as worrying as getting the babies out of the way.

He couldn’t carry them all. Loki, stumbling into the ruined room and pushing through the ice and blood, broke down his barrier and crawled to the children. Despite the blue skin, they evidently recognised him, and he grabbed hold of each.

‘Thor, summon Mjolnir.’ His brother was crying, not listening, and Loki tried to get him to hold his hand out. The Compound shuddered, and Loki froze. Thanos was here. He gripped Natalia and tucked her to his chest, held out his hand and prayed. When the Hammer hit it, he used the arm holding it to wrap around the six infants.

‘Heimdall, open the Bifrost!’ He screamed, blood blurring his vision as the Bifrost tore through the building, Loki using what little Seidr he had to keep the children close to him. The last thing he saw as the bright light engulfed him was Thanos, the Titan, standing over Ebony’s body. When his feet hit solid land, his knees gave in, red eyes looking up to the Gatekeeper, who was evidently in shock.

‘Help… help them.’ He gestured to the babies he clutched at, then the blood loss took over and he passed out uncomfortably on the Observatory floor.


	6. Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Asgard!!

When Loki rose his head, he was in Asgard. He was also back to his Aesir form, not his Jotun skin. He sat up sharply, noting immediately the loss of the children around him.

‘Where are they?’ He snapped at Eir, who jumped at his sudden voice ringing out. She collected herself, putting down the vials she had been holding and smiling at him.

‘Welcome back, Prince. The children are just across the way, in the open Chamber…’ Loki cut her off, sliding off the bed and wincing at the pain in his side. He was shirtless, which was mildly annoying, considering he couldn’t hide the marks littering his skin when he was unconscious. He grabbed a shirt, pulled it over his head and ignored the flaring pain, stalking out of the room. Eir followed, tutting about how he should be resting.

He flung the door open, eyes scanning the room. They skipped over the Allfather, who was resting against one of the chairs. He even skipped over Frigga, who was by his side. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif were in the room, watching a small blond running around with what appeared to be one of Mother’s silk shawls. The other children were all there, and as Loki flung the door open, their heads turned.

‘LOKES!’ A chorus of children cried, bombarding the Jotun. He crouched down to comfort the children, focusing on his brother, who looked pleased. He scooped Thor up, scanning him for any injuries, letting forwards Seidr to check on the God. Finding him unhurt, he placed the boy back on the ground, then turned to the others. It was then that he noted Heimdall, standing in the corner of the room.

The story was a long one to explain. Loki told them what happened, and how he was working on fixing it. He was close to being able to, he just needed a couple more days. While explaining the children got restless, tugging and pulling at each other as they got fed up of being ignored.

‘How long before Thanos reaches us?’ Frigga inquired gently, Loki not bothering to meet her gaze. His attention was on his brother, who was bullying Natalia.

‘He won’t attack Asgard, he doesn’t have enough strength.’ Loki remarked, moving the hair out of Tony’s face. The boy giggled happily, before toddling off towards Bruce. Loki watched fondly, although he did miss the life-sized Avengers.

‘Then we have time.’ Odin assured his wife, Loki’s mother, and silence fell. Loki looked up to the Allfather, who gave Loki a small smile. Loki even went as far as to return it. Sif and the Warriors Three all gasped, turning Loki’s attention to Thor, who had managed to pin Natalia to the floor and held his hand out to summon Mjolnir. Apparently, a small Thor was just as annoying as a life-sized one.

Thunder rumbled, Mjolnir flying in through the open window, and Loki scowled. He caught the hammer before Thor could even think of doing so, scowling at his brother.

‘Thor, you utter oaf, you cannot hit Natalia.’ Thor pouted, but Loki marched the hammer to the other side of the room, placing her down. He then realised what he had just done, eyes darting up to Odin in fear. The God looked shocked, as did the others in the room, all apart from Heimdall.

‘Icy Icy! Icy!’ Tony shouted happily, clapping his hands together. The others joined in, clapping and cheering, and Loki gave in to the small children. After all, he could only deal with their shouting for so long. He turned his skin blue, spread the ice out and allowed the snowflakes to start. With the children distracted sufficiently, the Jotun turned to the table and summoned the two stones. He looked to them, then glanced back to Odin.

‘I’m going to need the Casket.’ He stated calmly, then peered to Thor, who was looking up at Loki with those big puppy-dog eyes. Loki wished he was back to being the normal Thor, he wanted to apologise to his brother. Wanted to make up for all the times he hadn't trusted Thor.

‘I’ll have it brought to you.’ Odin stated, and Loki picked up one of the Stones. It glowed slightly, and the Jotun shuddered. This wasn’t going to be easy, but then again, when was anything simple in his life?

**

He worked throughout the day, only stopping to help the maids feed the babies. He then returned to his work, keeping his skin blue, for the children preferred it. Thor’s friends brought him the Casket, hovering by the door as Loki continued his work. Thor had been tapping Loki’s leg for a solid ten minutes, and Loki eventually looked down.

‘Yes, Thor?’

‘Show Lokes!’ He picked his brother up, seating him next to him on the table. Thor peered down at the open books, then to Loki, who was staring at the technology he had taken from the Compound.

‘I’m going to use the energy of the Mind and Space Stone to reverse the process that Tony implemented.’ He told his small brother, who grinned toothily. Loki found himself smiling back, then quickly clearing his throat and looking back to the machine. He couldn’t forget that this Thor may love Loki, but the real Thor wouldn’t. They were only just getting used to each other, Thor still didn’t trust him.

‘Dis?’ Thor pointed to the Casket, going to touch it. Loki moved it out of the way slightly, just enough so that Thor wouldn’t get hurt.

‘That’s to give me enough power to manipulate the stones.’ Thor just stared at him, and Loki ruffled the blond curls. He had more important things to do than try and explain to his brother what he needed to do. The door to the nursery shut, letting him know that the Warriors Three and Sif had left, which was nice. He didn’t need them in here, judging what he was trying to do.

**

It was raining in Asgard, thunder rumbling overhead. Loki was drenched, holding a crying Thor, who he was trying to soothe. They were outside in the Courtyard, Loki had to take Thor out of the room where the others were sleeping, he almost electrocuted all of them. Even when Thor’s crying stopped, the thunder and rain did not. The Trickster was soaked through, but still determined to solve the issue of Asgard flooding.

‘Thor, brother, how about I show you something special?’ Thor paused, the rain slowing slightly. Loki had technically never done what he was about to try, but he thought it might be worth it. He crouched down, fingers touching the wet ground, and ice spread out. It raced out across the courtyard, spreading up the sides of the buildings, freezing the plants around them. Loki stood, stretching a hand out and controlling the ice, allowing it to move up.

Thor squealed in delight, Loki laughing as the Ice listened to his commands, moving as he wished. When the Courtyard looked like something out of a fairy-tale book, Loki stopped, finding Thor trying to attack an icicle.

‘Pwetty.’ He stated, tracing the icicle. Loki nodded, reaching his blue hand out to take Thor’s pale white one. The two looked out across the courtyard, the rain having stopped and the thunder stilling.

Up on one of Asgard’s balconies, the Allfather, Allmother, and Thor’s closest friends watched the two of them. None of them spoke, just watched the beautiful Ice and the two Gods below.


	7. Singing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has to bring them back, no matter the cost

Loki spent the day riding, out in Asgard’s smaller villages with his brother strapped to his front. Although he did not say it, he feared that the Stones would attack him when he tried to reverse the process. That wouldn’t be appreciated, nor would Thor ever forgive him. So, hoping that Thor might remember these moments, he had taken his brother out. Thor had never seemed so happy, smiling and toddling around.

‘Come on, baby brother. I need to reverse the spell.’ He lifted his brother off the horse, walking back towards the Palace. When he made it to the nursery, the other children were all smiling brightly, happy apparently. Loki placed Thor down in his cot, walked across to the contraption he had made which would try and reverse Tony’s mistake.

‘Mother?’ He was surprised to find her in the room, seated on the window-seat, cradling baby Steve. Frigga smiled softly, standing up and putting Steve back before walking across.

‘Loki, love. I’ve come to offer my assistance.’ Logically, two people handling the stones would be better than one. But Loki couldn’t risk his Mother, nor could he bear to let her see the creature he had become under the Mind Stone. He was ready to argue, but the woman placed a finger to his lips.

‘If you think you are convincing me otherwise, you are wrong, my dear. A mother’s place is always by her son.’ Loki found himself wanting to lean into the touch, to wrap his arms around her and let her help him. But Loki looked past her to Thor, to the brother he might be leaving behind. And if he did leave his brother, then Frigga had to be there to look after him.

‘Then you will stay by Thor’s side.’ He snapped, even though his heart screamed at him to not, he pulled away from her touch. Her eyes shone with tears, but Loki held firm. The woman eventually nodded, but she still maintained the eye contact.

‘Am I not your mother?’ Yes, yes of course she was. She was his everything, the parent that hadn't given up on him. The parent that loved him unconditionally, had taught him everything he knew. The one he would go to when Odin was favouring Thor again, the one that would let him curl up on her lap and sing to him. But Thor needed her more than he did.

‘You’re his mother.’ Loki stated firmly, and Frigga gave a sad smile. She turned and left the room, leaving the Trickster to cry silently, staring at the shut door. The tears fell freely, watching her walk away from him, and he wanted to call her back. To tell her the risks of using the stone, explain that he couldn’t put her in harms way. But he didn’t do that, instead he turned to the babies. They seemed to pick up on his mood, so Loki went to Thor, smiling down.

‘Now, little Thor, you’re mother will be safe when you come back.’ He wiped the tears furiously from his eyes, before running his fingers through the curls. The door to the nursery opened, Lady Sif standing in the doorway with the Warriors Three behind her.

‘The Throne Room is ready for the children, Prince.’ Earlier, before all of this, he would have insisted they call him by his title when Thor wasn’t around. He didn’t like them, but he knew how much they meant to Thor. And when Loki was gone, Thor would need friends.

‘You can call me Loki, Lady Sif.’ He remarked, glancing back down to the blue-eyed baby in front of him. Sif didn’t speak again, walking towards Tony and scooping him up. Fandral took Clint, who squirmed angrily in his arms, Volstagg took Steve, and Hogun took Bruce. Loki picked up his brother, then handed her to Sif, not wanting to look into those eyes anymore. She settled the Thunder God onto her other hip, giving Loki an odd look. The guys took the Avengers away, Sif hesitating.

‘Is this going to hurt you?’ She finally asked, and Loki flinched. He scooped up Natalia, booping her nose as she squealed happily.

‘Of course not.’ He lied smoothly, but the Lady Sif saw right through it. She looked down to Thor, then to Loki.

‘Your brother will need you, Loki. If this hurts you, he would never forgive himself.’ Loki looked to the bright eyes of Natalia, who was staring right back at him. He wished he didn’t have to do this.

‘It won’t hurt me.’ Because anything, any price, would be worth it if Thor was alright. Sif sighed, leaving the room, and Loki walked across to pick up Mjolnir. Thor would need it once he was big, so he carried that with him to the Throne Room. The babies were assembled in their seats, the machine Loki had been altering sitting in the room. Odin had created a barrier, much like the one Loki had used to avoid the spell in the first place, so they could all stay behind it. Frigga was there, Odin, and Heimdall. The Warriors Three had put down their babies, as had Sif, settling Thor down.

Loki placed Natalia into her seat, then walked across to his brother and placed Mjolnir down by his side. Baby Thor watched him, blue eyes wide.

‘You’ll need this, brother, when you wake up.’ Loki stated, and his brother beamed at him.

‘Love, Lokes!’ Norns, he could not cry now, he scolded himself. Loki smiled at his brother, trying to remind himself that he needed to do this. That he couldn’t be selfish, and try and avoid the pain this would cause.

‘Love you too, brother.’ He assured the small child, before walking across to the Casket. He let his skin change, shot one last look to the bright eyed boy, then grabbed the cables. He adjusted them, hooking the machine up to the stones like Tony had done, and looked across to the billionaire. Hopefully, this was going to work. The Jotun placed both hands on the Casket, then reached for the Stones.

Pain, that was the first thing Loki registered. It was like being stabbed hundreds of times, fire racing up his arms as he bit back a scream. The machine made a sound, smoke starting to rise, and the Jotun gripped harder.

_‘What is this, Mother?’ The young boy asked, looking at the rectangular object. It was glowing blue, and it seemed to sing to the boy. He wondered if his mother could hear the beautiful tune._

_‘It’s called the Casket of Winters, Loki. It belonged to the Jotun King, Laufey.’ Loki looked to the beautiful object, then listened to the song. He could get lost in the tune, a bright yet strangely melancholy sound. It was like it was singing about Winter itself, the beauty of the cold, yet the harsh and unforgiving pain of the ice._

_‘Can you hear it sing as well?’ He asked, reaching for the object. His mother gripped his hand before he could, and Loki could have sworn he saw panic cross her features._

_‘You mustn’t listen to the song, Loki. It used to draw men to their deaths.’ Loki realised then how dangerous the Casket was, listening to the tune that he was falling in love with. He took his mother’s hand, smiling up at her happily. As long as he had his Mother, then the Casket would never get him._

Loki stood alone, and when the Casket began to sing, the Jotun didn’t stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about how this Chapter ended, and am warning you, the next might be worse


	8. Back together again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki wakes.

_It was icy cold, freezing, and the world was covered in a blanket of snow. On the floor, stuck in the Icy Palace, a baby lay on the stone, abandoned. Outside there was screaming, shouting, the sound of fighting. Jotunheim was dying, the Casket of Winters was going to be stolen, and the Jotuns would lose everything they held dear. The King himself was on the battle field, had left behind only one Jotun to guard his infant._

_Farbauti, a smaller than average Jotun, but nowhere near the tiny stature of the babe in front, stood against the ice-wall. He was in charge of his child, of the King’s child. The Prince of Jotunheim was silent, and Farbauti looked to the open doors. He could run, could flee deep into the woods, and would never have to worry about being killed. But that would mean abandoning the child on the floor, the child that he had borne._

_He noted how the Casket, once a dull blue, had lit up the moment the Jotun had been lain on the floor. Now, as the young child, Loki, gurgled, the blue casket swirled. Like they were connected, like Loki could hear the Winters Song. The older Jotun stared at the child, picked it up and walked across to the Casket. The child reached out, and Farbauti watched in a mixture of awe and fear as the casket started to burn blue, glowing brilliantly._

_Farbauti put the child on the floor, looked out to the losing battle. The King of Asgard was coming, and with him, the promise of death. Farbauti took one last look at the child, then turned and ran from the room. Alone, abandoned, the baby Prince wailed. The Casket slowly shut down under the wailing of the child, and as the King stepped into the room, he looked down to the babe._

_‘You must be Prince Loki.’ The King remarked, stooping low to lift the child. The babe fell silent, shifting its skin to the pale Aesir colour. The King smiled down, then looked to the Casket, that had died in colour. It did not take the Asgardian long to figure out a connection between the two of them._

_**_

_‘TELL ME!’ The Jotun screamed, heart shattering. Behind him, the Casket swirled dangerously, and the King realised his mistake. Loki could never avoid the call of the Casket, and the King of Asgard had been foolish to try. As he watched his child’s heart shatter, Odin realised that this was his fault. That he had done this, had tried to keep them separate, and now the Casket was making Odin suffer because of it. And on top of all of that, Loki was now looking at him with utter hatred. The King could do nothing, nothing but hope that his son would understand why he had kept them apart._

**

‘Prince?’ Loki flicked his eyes open, glancing across to the woman talking to him. This was happening far too frequently, he mused, staring at Eir. She was hesitant to come across, and Loki didn’t try and move. His head hurt, heart hurt more, and he needed to see Odin. His father. But Loki didn’t move, allowed Eir to slowly unwrap his arms. He didn’t know when they got badly burnt, also didn’t know when he’d taken back his Aesir form.

‘Did… did it work?’ His throat hurt, badly, and Eir nodded.

‘It worked, my Prince. But, Loki, you’ve been asleep for three months. We thought you dead.’ Huh, Loki mused, that was why he felt like death incarnate. He slowly rose, Eir offering him a glass of what he hoped was ice cold water. He smiled as his throat was soothed, before looking down at his body. Apparently, he hadn't been allowing himself to heal. That was why he was in so much pain, he thought.

‘Where is the King?’ Loki asked, and the Healer looked mildly surprised.

‘In the throne room, I would believe. The Avengers were due a meeting with him.’ Loki slowly stood, Eir holding on to his waist as he did so. She handed him some clothing, helping him in to it, until he looked to the door. He needed to get to Odin, needed to apologise. He also needed to see the Casket again, then check on the Avengers and ensure that there was no residue from the spell on them.

He was slow-walking, the Guards looking at him like they had seen a ghost. Eir was by his side, having to help him walk through the Palace. Why they made everything so big, Loki would never know. When they reached the Throne Room, the Guards opened it with no hesitance. Loki sought out the man he was searching for, although his eyes momentarily stopped on the Avengers, and his brother.

‘Loki…’ Thor breathed out, but Loki walked past him, stumbled past him, and walked towards the Throne. Odin smiled, like he knew what Loki had seen, and the Jotun felt so very foolish. So very small, compared to the King, who he dropped down to his knees in front of. He had not been hugged in a long time, not like this, and not by his father. But now he revelled in it, trying to convey everything he had lost when he broke apart from them.

‘No, Loki. You don’t need to apologise.’ Odin stated calmly as Loki opened his mouth to do so, the King smiling down at him, and Loki fell silent again. Once he pulled back, Loki was quickly smothered by his mother, the woman he loved just as much. He hugged her back, smiled into her shoulder when he felt her magic course through him, trying to heal anything she could. Loki stepped back, turning to Thor, finally.

His brother looked better. Ignoring the dark bags under his eyes, or the stress-lines. He was no longer the child-Thor, but the adult one that Loki had missed. The one that he wanted to see for so long. Thor didn’t move, and Loki didn’t either. His eyes flicked past him to Lady Sif, who was leaning against the wall. The silent message on her face, the one that said “I told you so”. He admitted defeat, crossed the room to his brother and fell against the Thunder God, Thor’s arms wrapping around him.

‘M’sorry.’ Loki tried, voice slurring slightly as exhaustion threatened to take over. His brother just held tighter, even when Loki felt unconsciousness creep up on him, and he slumped.


	9. The advance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me why I was randomly inspired to add another chapter to this, I have no idea.

When Loki woke, it was not to the sight of the Healer. Instead, his room was unoccupied, and the Prince slowly sat up, wincing as his head throbbed angrily. Apparently, he was not yet fully healed, despite his Mother’s magic working its way through him. Slowly, he sat up in the bed, slid his legs out and wobbled towards the bathing chamber. Without his Seidr to draw a bath for him, he had to made it across the stone to the taps, reaching to run steaming hot water in.

Slipping in was equal amounts of pleasure, and pain. On the one hand, it soothed the aches that had been threatening to disable him, his muscles relaxing. Yet he still had his Jotun skin too close to the surface, and the water stung angrily, but he forced himself under it. Months had passed, yet Thanos was not here, presumably meaning that he deemed Asgard a risk too far. Interesting, and useful. It gave him time to put a protection spell on his brother, to keep the oaf out of danger.

Potentially, he would do the same to the other Avengers. After all, they needed looking after as well, he had not kept them alive as children to have them die now. Ebony was hopefully dead, if Loki had genuinely managed to kill him, and he still had the stones. He could sense them, down in the Guard treasure room, just like he sense the Casket.

It wasn’t singing, not like it had been before. But it still called to him, just the same, beckoning him to embrace the power it offered. Power, that might be useful against Thanos. With that thought in mind, he dragged himself out of the bath, looped a towel around his waist and walked back into his room. He raised an eyebrow, looking to the woman perched on the edge of his bed, but he held his tongue.

‘You look awful.’ Natalia, no, she was Natasha now, remarked. Loki gave a smirk, but it was a tired one at best, moving across to his clothes. Just like before, he had no energy to do things by Magic, and instead had to resort to doing it by hand. Painful, when all his limbs felt like they were seconds away from giving in.

‘A pleasure to see you to, Natalia.’ He couldn’t help the name, it had been instinct while keeping her safe as a child, and he didn’t miss the slight blush on her cheeks at the name. He gripped a set of clothes, moved into the closet to change, listened to her speak as he did so.

‘I’m not used to being in people’s debt, Loki. I owe you.’

‘Believe me, Natalia, you have no need to owe me.’ He had destroyed New York, and she thought to owe him? He re-emerged, found her eyes on his, like she knew what he was thinking. He looked away, felt the shame bubble up in his gut.

‘I knew you’d say that, so I decided to do a favour for you.’ She was walking across to the balcony, which overlooked the private courtyard that was restricted to the Royals. He hesitated, followed her across, and was surprised when he looked down. In the centre, perfectly placed, the Casket of Winters.

‘Interesting.’ Loki said aloud, knowing why she’d done it. One, it was closer than the Treasure Room. Two, it meant that he could draw of its energy without the Guards knowing he was down there.

‘I did some research, found out how you’re connected to it.’ He looked across, thanked her, and found her smile growing.

‘Just don’t bring up what happened when I was a child, and we’re equal.’ He chuckled, watched her form retreat from the room, looked back down to the gardens.

**

Reason number three why Natalia had moved the Casket, so the group could peek at him as he moved through the gardens. He wasn’t stupid, he could feel their gazes digging into his back, knew that they were all there. It was then that he realised the only reason why he could feel them at all was because he was getting closer to the Casket, stronger.

He stopped in front of it, hesitant to touch, looking to the bright blue lines that danced across. It was glowing faintly, the sound louder now that he was closer, and he reached out slowly for it. Just before his fingertips brushed, he pulled back, fear setting in. Once he did this, he would be strong enough to fight Thanos. There would be no reason to ignore the Titan, he would have to go after him, would have to confront his fears.

Loki swallowed, reached out with both hands, and gripped the cube of his homeland between his palms. It was like ice, unsurprisingly, racing up his body and taking over every nerve, every ache he had. Even if he had wanted to, he could not stop the way his skin changed pigment colour, the transformation from Aesir to Jotun a quick one, and his body stopped complaining about a lack of energy. The Casket glowed, angry and bright, sound so loud that it was all he could hear.

The ice escaped without him really meaning to, spreading out like it had done on the night that Loki had soothed Thor’s pain, racing out across the gardens and freezing everything in its path. It hit the borders of the Garden, raced up the sides, solidified the water features that lined the entrance to the Garden. Behind him, he felt the ice start to go for the Palace, drew it back just enough so that it remained within the confines of the Garden. But it wasn’t enough, his body demanded more, his Seidr impatient to test his new abilities.

He tucked the Casket away, looked up the sky, and wondered how exactly he was going to stop this from getting out of hand. Then he thought back to a young Thor, struggling to stop Asgard from flooding in the rainy season, remembered the lines of civilians coming to complain about the Prince. With that in mind, he turned one hand, palm up, and held it in front.

The Magic set off without him giving it the go ahead, a bolt of ice that shot upright, splintering when it reached the height of the tallest spire, tiny ice crystals filling the air. They danced a mix of green and blue, struggling between the power of his Seidr, and the natural colour of the Casket. He regarded the scene in front, knew that if he had been in Jotunheim, he could have brought the entire Realm to his control, could have shaped and melded and brought back life.

For a moment, the temptation was there, to run away and craft his own life, to let his… gift, explode into life. But just like that, he remembered a set of baby-blue eyes, a tiny child curled against his chest, who he promised to protect. The sky lit up once more, as the Ice dissipated into a light dust, before vanishing entirely. It crept back from the edges of the gardens, withdrawing the cold from Asgard, a place it didn’t naturally belong. He didn’t naturally belong.

Only once all of it was back, did he finally relax. Hey, looking on a positive note, maybe he could freeze Thanos to death. 


End file.
